Can and cover feeding mechanism



June 19, 1956 w. PECHY CAN AND COVER FEEDING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 25, 1952 r 5 m W WM} w kw Y B June 19, 1956 w. PECHY 2,750,913

CAN AND COVER FEEDING MECHANISM Filed March 25, 1952 s Sheets-Sheet 2 -S INVENTOR. [E rm; MM P507) 144M442. fim

,Wme/vm J June 19, 1956 w, PEcHY 2,750,913

CA N AND COVER FEEDING MECHANISM Filed March 25, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR.

W/LL/AM PECY/Y BY ,6M #30. W Mae/4% WWW United States Patent CAN AND COVER FEEDING MECHANISM William Pechy, Beimar, N. J., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 25, 1952, Serial No. 278,353

Claims. 01. 113-114 The present invention relates to a can and can cover or end feeding and assembling mechanism for can making or closing machines and has particular reference to an improved high-speed cover feed which operates to feed covers only when cans are in place to receive them.

An object of the invention is the provision of an improved cover feeding device wherein quick and accurate operation may be had for nullifying the feeding of a cover when a can is missing or not properly spaced to receive a cover.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved cover feeding device wherein the feeding of a cover is effected in timed relation with the feeding of cans by controlling the rotation of a yieldably driven rotatable separator element.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved cover feeding device capable of accurate operation at high speeds.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a cover feeding device embodying the instant invention; with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken through the lower portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, with parts broken back and shown in section; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of one form of machine in which the cover feeding mechanism of the present invention can be used.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the instant invention the drawings illustrate principal parts of a machine such as a can closing or sealing machine in which cans A (Fig. 4) and covers or can ends B are fed from separate sources of supply and are brought together in vertical alignment for attaching the covers to the cans, the invention being particularly directed to cover feeding devices arranged to prevent feeding of a cover when no can is fed to receive it.

In such a machine the cans A are received from any suitable outside source of supply and are advanced preferably along a straight line path of travel in spaced and timed order and in an upright position for the reception of a cover B on their top open ends. The cans A are supported on a horizontal runway 11 (Fig. 4) secured to a frame 12 which constitutes the main frame of the machine. Longitudinal guide rails 13 disposed adjacent the outer edges of the runway retain the moving cans in alignment. A conventional conveyor 15 having spaced feed dogs 16 is provided for advancing the cans along the runway. This conveyor operates over suitable sprockets mounted in the machine frame in the usual 2,750,913 Patented June 19, 1956 ice manner and is actuated in time with the other moving parts of the machine.

The conveyor 15 advances the cans A individually into a can and cover assembling station C. At this station the cans are temporarily encircled by cooperating pairs of peripheral pockets 18, 19 respectively provided on a pair of rotating horizontally disposed turrets 21, 22 disposed adjacent the terminal end of the runway 11 (see Fig. 4). The turrets 21, 22 are mounted on and are rotated in unison respectively in counter-clockwise and clockwise directions by a pair of vertically disposed drive shafts 23, 24 suitably joumaled in the machine frame 12 and rotated in any suitable manner in time with the conveyor 15. The turret 21 may be a transfer turret for advancing the can and its cover into the closing devices ,of the machine or may itself be a part of the closing devices which are usual in closing machines. A curved guide rail 25 disposed adjacent the outer edge of the turret 21 holds the cans A with their loosely assembled covers in their pockets 18 during the transfer or closing operation.

The turret 22 is a cover transfer turret which advances the covers B along a curved path of travel in spaced relation and in time with the advancement of the cans A to meet the cans at the assembling station C and at the station to position a cover over the can in vertically spaced and aligned relation thereto for assembly therewith. The assembly of can and cover usually is effected by a lifting of the can toward the cover and inserting both can and cover into a conventional closing or seaming head. Support of the cover B while in the cover transfer turret 22 is effected by curved ledges 27 formed in the turret concentric with the pockets 19 and by a curved L-shaped guide rail 28 having a cooperating cover supporting ledge thereon, disposed adjacent the outer edge of the turret as best shown in Fig. 4.

The cover transfer turret 22 receives the covers B from a stack of such covers disposed in a magazine 31 defined by a curved bottom support plate 32 (Figs. 1, 3 and 4) having a stack support ledge 33, a pair of upright stack retaining rods 34 and a convex stack support bar 35. The support plate 32 is secured to a boss 36 which extends up from the machine frame 12.

The covers B are separated individually from the bottom of the stack and fed from the magazine 31 by a cover screw feed generally indicated by the numeral 38 (Figs. 1, 3 and 4). This screw feed is arranged to stop the feeding of the covers from the stack when no cans are fed to receive them. For this purpose a conventional can feeler, detector or finger 41 (Fig. 4) is disposed adjacent and extends along the path of travel of the cans on the runway 11 where it engages against the sides of the entering cans to detect the presence of the cans. The feeler 41 is long enough to extend along two properly spaced cans so that it is not effected by the space between two normally spaced cans but will be effected when one or more cans are missing from the procession.

The feeler 41 is mounted on a pivot pin 42 secured in the machine frame 12. Adjacent the pin, the feeler is formed with a pressure arm 43 which is connected by a tension spring 44 to an anchor. hole 45 in the frame. The spring 44 urges the feeler 41 toward the moving cans. A connecting rod 47 connects the feeler 41 with and transmits movement of the feeler to a pivotally mounted stop lever 48 disposed adjacent the cover screw feed 38 for temporarily interrupting removal of the covers B from the stack as mentioned above. This operation will be more fully explained hereinafter in connection with the cover screw feed.

The cover screw feed 38 comprises primarily a rotatable floating cover separator screw 51 (Figs. 1 and 3) and a driven rotatable cover feed screw 52 which normally 3 rotate in unison as a unitary structure. The feed screw 52 is mounted on and is keyed to'a vertical drive shaft 53 which extends up througha bearing 54 formed in the machine frame 12 and in a bearing55 formed in a bracket 56 (see also Fig. 4) secured to the machine frame. The lower end of the bearing 55: depends from .the bracket 56 as a-tubular sleeve 57 surroundingthe shaft 53. The drive shaft 53 is rotated through av gear 51 which is rotated continuously in any suitable manner in time with the can conveyor 15 and the-cover transfer turret 22, so that the cover feed screw 52 makes one revolution for the advancement of each can through a distance. equal to the spacing of the cans fromcenter to center.

The periphery of the feedscrew 52 is formed with an outwardly and downwardly extending tapered face 58 having a spiral groove 59 provided therein as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2 for the reception. of an edge of a cover B as will be hereinafter explained. The lower edge of this tapered face 58 merges into an inwardly and downwardly extending, undercut tapered face 61 which terminates at the bottom of the screw in a shoulder 62 disposed adjacent a plate 63 projecting outwardly beyond the shoulder and secured to the bottom of the screw.

The floating or non-positively driven separator screw 51 is in general a hubbed disc shaped member disposed immediately above the feed screw 52 in axial alignment therewith. This separator screw isloosely mounted on the lower end of the sleeve 57 of the driving shaft bearing 55 so that actually the screw is disposed in floating relation to the sleeve. The floating separator screw 51 is suspended vertically by a split ring 65 seated in a recess 66 in the top of the screw. The ring is fixedly secured to the screw as best seen in Fig. 3. The inner edge of the ring 65 projects in a loose fit into a continuous annular groove 67 in the fixed bearing sleeve 57 and thus supports the floating screw 51 but permits free rotation of the screw on the sleeve when necessary.

For the purpose of normally rotating the floating separator screw 51 in unison with the positively driven feed screw 52 as mentioned above, the separator screw 51 is formed with an axially disposed depending hub 69 which loosely surrounds the bearing sleeve 57 and which extends down into a clearance recess 71 formed in the positively driven cover feed screw 52. At one place on its outer surface, the screw hub 69 is formed with an outwardly projecting driven lug 72 (Figs. 2 and 3) which normally is engaged by the inner end of a spring barrel 73 radially disposed in a blind bore 74 formed in the positively driven feed screw 52.

The driven lug 72 and the drivingspring barrel 73 provide a yieldable driving connection between the floating separator screw 51 and the positively driven feed screw 52. A compression spring 75 interposed between the spring barrel 73 and the feed screw 52 yieldably maintains the spring barrelin an extended position. In order to prevent contact of the spring barrel with the hub 69 of the floating separator screw 51, the inward travel of the barrel is limited by a pin 76 which is secured in the feed screw 52 in a position transversely of the barrel so that the upper side surface of. the pin projects into a travel limiting groove 77 formed in the outer face of the barrel (see Figs. 2 and 3).

The peripheral surface of the floating. separator screw 51 is formed with a helical ledge 81 (Figs. 1 and 3) commencing at its upper extremity in a sharply tapered cover separating edge 82, and terminating at a lower level in a shouldered extremity slightly underlapping the initial cover separating edge 82.

In operation, the lowermost cover or can end B of the stack disposed in the magazine31 is supported at its edge opposite the support plate32, byv the upper surface of the helical ledge 81 of the cover separator screw 51. As the drive shaft 53 rotates, it drives the cover feed screw 52' in the direction of the arrow-in'Fig. l and thus through the yieldable connection between the spring barrel 73 and the lug 72 of the cover separator screw 51, rotates the separator screw with the feed screw.

As the separator screw 51 rotates, its helical ledge 81 slides under the supported edge of the lowermost cover B while supporting the stack and thus upon one complete revolution lowers the lowermost cover to the lower level of the helical ledge 81. As the terminal end of the ledge approaches the cover, the sharp point 82 of the starting end of the ledge, i. e. at the upper level, moves into position between the lowermost cover at the lower level and the cover next above and thus'transfers the support of the stack from the terminal end of the ledge to the starting end. This frees the inner supported edge of the lowermost cover from the stack and thus partially separates the lowermost cover from the stack.

As the screws 51, 52 continue to rotate, the terminal end of the ledge 81 rides out from under the edge of the lowermost cover B and permits the edge of the cover to drop down onto the top face of the feed screw 52 (as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l) and thence descend into the spiral groove 59 in the feed screw. The under portion of. the starting end 82 of the ledge $1 is cut away to form a cam face 84 (Fig. l) to guide the edge of the lowermost cover during this dropping action. The edge of the cover received in the spiral groove 59 of the feed screw 52. moves down along the groove as the feed screw continues to rotate and thus pivotally swings the entire cover on its opposite edge which. is still supported on the ledge 33 of the support plate 32.

When thelowermost cover B reaches the angular position shown. in Fig. 3 itis fully separated from the stack and its inner edge rides under the tapered face 61 of the feed screw 52 and it is thus held stationary until a feed finger 86. (Figs. 1, 3 and 4) carried by the bottom plate 63 of the cover feed screw 52, engages against it and removes it from the magazine 31. The finger 86 rotates with the feed screw and. upon engaging the cover, pushes it laterally along a downwardly inclined curved guide track 87 (Figs. 3 and 4) which leads to the cover transfer turret 22 hereinbefore mentioned. The finger 86 propels the cover until the cover, guided by the track, is positioned by the finger onto the ledge 27 of a registering pocket 19 of the transfer turret 22. In this manner each cover is removed from the stack individually and advanced to meet its can.

When there is no can fed to receive a cover as mentioned hereinbefore, the cover separating screw 51 is stopped from rotating and remains stationary while the cover feed screw 52 continues to rotate to advance a previously separated cover in the feed screw to register with the last can advanced by the conveyor 15. The stopping of the separator screw 51 in turn ceases rotation of the separator ledge 81 and thus withholds feed of any cover that may be still supported on the ledge. It is for this purpose that the separator screw 51 is made separate from the feed screw 52 and connected to the latter through the yieldable spring barrel 73 and lug '72.

The stopping. of the separator screw 51 is effected through the. can feeler finger 41 (Fig. 4) which moves inwardly when a canis missing from the procession entering the machine. This inward movement, rocks the stop lever 48 through the connecting rod 47. The stop lever 48 is mounted on a pivot pin 89 (Fig. l) secured in a pair of spaced lugs 91 whichproject from the bearing sleeve 57. The lower end of the stop lever 48 is formed with a foot 92 which projects inwardly toward the bearing sleeve 57..

Under normal operating conditions, when cans A are entering. the machine in a continuous procession in properly spaced relation, the feeler finger 41 holds the foot92 of the stop lever. 48 in the position shown in Fig. l Where the. foot is. clear of the path of travel of a stop pin 93. projecting vertically from the split ring 65 and rotating. with-the cover separator screw 51. Under these conditions the separator screw 51 rotates with the cover feed screw 52. 1

When a cam A is missing from the procession and the feeler finger 41 moves inwardly as a consequence thereof, the foot 92 of the stop lever 48 is projected as described into the path of travel of the stop pin 93 and thereby stops the pin and the cover separator screw 51 connected therewith. The stopping of this screw 51 stops the further separation of covers B from the stack as mentioned above and permits the driving spring barrel 73 in the cover feed screw 52 to snap past the driving lug 72 on the separator screw 51. This release of the separator screw from the feed screw permits the latter to continue its positive rotation while the cover separator screw is held stationary.

If only one can is missing from the procession, the separator screw 51 remains stationary for only one revolution of the feed screw, the separator screw being released at the end of this revolution. If more than one can is missing the separator screw remains stationary until the feeler finger 41 is pushed out by the succeeding can in the line to retract the foot 92 on the stop lever 48. During the time the separator screw 51 is held stationary, its driven lug 72 remains sationary and the spring barrel 73 snaps past the lug with each revolution of the feed screw, When the can actuated feeler finger 41 retracts the foot 92 and thereby releases the stop pin 93, the separator screw 51, because of its floating nature in relation to the bearing sleeve 57 and feed screw 52, remains stationary until the spring barrel 73 engages against the driven lug on the separator screw and thus recommences rotation of the separator screw. In this manner the separator screw 51 is brought into proper operating position relative to the feed screw 52 so that the helical ledge 81 of the separator screw will be properly positioned and synchronized with the spiral feed groove 59 of the feed screw 52 to again separate and feed the covers B from the stack in the magazine 31 in timed relation to the advancement of the cans by conveyor 15. g

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a can end feeding mechanism, the combination of a conveyor for advancing cans, a magazine for holding a stack of can ends, a rotatable separator member mounted adjacent said magazine for engaging and partially separating the lowermost can end from said stack, a can end feed screw rotatably mounted beneath said separator member for completing the separation of said lowermost end from said stack, means yieldably connecting said feed screw to said separator member for normal conjoint rotation as a unit, means for continuously rotating said feed screw in one direction to successively separate and remove the lowermost can ends from said stack, a movable detector member engageable by cans advancing on said conveyor, a movable member connected to said detector member and normally held thereby out of engagement with said rotating separator member, and means responsive to the absence of a can on said conveyor for movingsaid detector member to engage said movable member with said separator member to arrest further rotation thereof by said yieldable connection.

2. A can end feed mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein said separator member comprises a rotatable disc having a helical thread projecting laterally from its periphery, the leading end of said thread being sharply tapered to facilitate its insertion into between the lowermost and adjacent can ends in said stack.

3. In a can end feeding mechanism, the combination of a conveyor for advancing cans into position to receive can ends, a magazine for holding a stack of can ends, a rotatable separator member having a spiral thread thereon mounted adjacent said magazine for engaging and partially separating the lowermost can end from said stack, a stop pin projecting from said separator member, a stop lever pivotally mounted adjacent said separator member, a can end feed screw rotatably mounted beneath said separator member for completing the separation of said lowermost end from said stack, means yieldably connecting said feed screw and said separator member for normal rotation as a unit, means for continuously rotating said feed screw in one direction to successively separate and remove the lowermost can ends from said stack, means for advancing the separated can ends into registry with said cans, a movable detector member connected to said stop lever and engageable by cans advancing on said conveyor for normally holding an end of the lever out of the path of said stop pin, and means responsive to the absence of a can advancing on said conveyor for moving said detector member to swing an end of said stop lever into the path of said stop pin to arrest further rotation of said separator member, thereby terminating fur ther feed of can ends from said stack without discontinuing the continuous rotation of said feed screw in said one direction.

4. In a can end feeding mechanism, the combination of a conveyor for advancing cans into position to receive can ends, a magazine for holding a stack of can ends and having a fixed stack support at one side thereof, a rotatable separator screw having a stop projection and a peripheral helical thread thereon mounted at the opposed side of said magazine for threadedly engaging and partially separating the lowermost can end from said stack, a feed screw rotatably mounted beneath said separator screw for receiving the descending lowermost can end therefrom and for completing the separation and removal of the end from said stack, said feed screw having a spring barrel carried thereon engageable with a projecting lug on said separator screw to afford a yieldable driving connection With said separator screw for normal unitary rotation therewith, means for continuously rotating said feed screw in one direction to successively separate and remove the lowermost can ends from said stack, means for advancing the separated can ends into registry with said cans, a spring tensioned detector finger mounted adjacent said can conveyor and disposed in the path of movement of the cans advancing thereon, and a stop lever having a projecting foot thereon pivotally mounted adjacent said separator screw, the opposite end of said stop lever being connected to said detector finger, whereby spring urged movement of said detector finger in the abscnce of an adjacent can on said conveyor projects said stop lever foot into the path of rotary movement of said separator screw stop projection to arrest further rotation of said separator screw without discontinuing the continuous rotation of said feed screw in said one direction, said spring barrel snapping over said lug at each revolution of said feed screw.

5. In a can end feeding mechanism, the combination of a conveyor for advancing cans into position to receive can ends, a magazine for holding a stack of can ends, a rotatable separator member having a hub portion provided with a projecting lug mounted adjacent said magazine, said separator member having a peripheral helical thread thereon for engaging and partially separating the lowermost can end from said stack, a can end feed screw rotatably mounted beneath said separator member for completing the separation of said lowermost can end from said stack, a spring pressed projection carried by said feed screw engageable with said lug on said separator member hub to provide a yieldable driving connection therebetween for normal rotation thereof as a unit, means for continuously rotating said feed screw in one direction to successively separate and remove. the, lowermost can ends, from said stack, means for advancing the separated can ends into registry with, said cans, a movable detector member disposed adjacent said conveyor and engageable by cans advancing thereon, a movable stop member connected to said detector member and normally disposed out of engagement with said separator member, and resilient means responsive to the absence of a can on said conveyor for moving said detector member to project said stop References Cited in-the-t file of this patent member into engagement With said separator member for 10 2,344,546

UNITED STATES PATENTS Warme. Apr. 7, 1914 Wilson Aug. 26, 1924 Brenzinger June 26, 1928 Murch July 24, 1934 Krueger Mar. 21, 1944 

